generation study abroad

The Towson University Study Abroad Office is excited to announce that we have received $30,000 worth of grant money from CIEE, and we want to give it to you!

CIEE is back at it again with generous scholarship opportunities! As a part of their Generation Study Abroad initiative, CIEE has pledged to award $20 million in scholarships by the year 2020. In order to meet this goal, they will be awardingscholarships for the 2017-2018 year.

Towson University pledged to increase the number of study abroad participants by 40% by the year 2020, and although we have already exceeded this goal (2 years ahead of schedule!), CIEE has offered us 6 grants in order to help continue this growth! These grants are specifically for students studying abroad on a CIEE Open Campus Program at their Global Institutes in Berlin, London, Paris, Rome, Cape Town, and Madrid.

These 18-week programs offer students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the local culture while taking courses taught in English from one of five academic tracks: Business; Communications, Journalism, and New Media; International Relations and Political Science; Language, Literature and Culture; Health Science.

Open Campus Grants:

Six $5,000 grants to students attending 3 blocks at one of the six CIEE Global Institutes, or at a combination of 3 locations.

Eligibility:

Must have a 2.5 cumulative GPA

Must be a sophomore by the start of the program

Must be studying abroad on a CIEE Open Campus Program at one of the Global Institutes in Berlin, London, Paris, Rome, Cape Town, or Madrid for 18 weeks in the Spring 2018 semester

Must have completed Towson’s Horizons application, and started CIEE’s application by the nomination deadline

The Study Abroad Office and the Center for Student Diversity have partnered to provide programming specifically suited to students that are not traditionally represented in study abroad. Please join us at the following events so we can show you how truly accessible study abroad is for everyone!

Discussion Series Schedule of Events:

September 14th, 12-2pm*Center for Student Diversity, UU 313

Representing the Underrepresented: Why Everyone Can Study AbroadThink study abroad isn’t for you? Think again! Join your peers in a discussion about how study abroad can be a part of your TU experience! Lunch will be provided.

September 21st, 12-2pm*Center for Student Diversity, UU 313

Funding Your Experience AbroadWant to go abroad, but unsure about finances? Hear directly from a Gilman Scholarship recipient and get scholarship writing tips from the Writing Center. Using Financial Aid? A representative from the Financial Aid Office will be there too! Lunch will be provided.

October 27th, 3-4:30pm*Study Abroad Office, PYSC 407

Critical Language Scholarship Information SessionLooking for a FULLY funded experience abroad? Interested in speaking another language? Learn more about this FREE opportunity abroad.

*Attend one of the above events, and be entered to win a raffle prize!

November 14-18thLocation and times vary

International Education WeekDo you LOVE everything international? Join us for a week-long celebration of all things international! Schedule to be announced soon.

Have you heard that CIEE has pledged to fund 10,000 passports through the year 2020 as part of the IIE Generation Study Abroad initiative? We don’t know about you, but we think that’s a pretty generous commitment! Passport fees are typically about $110 for applicants over the age of 16, which is an expense that keeps some people from pursuing study abroad.

Luckily for us, the CIEE Passport Caravan came to town this February and 75 Towson students received free passports to help make study abroad more of a reality!

We spoke to some of the students that attended the event, and here’s what they had to say:

Canisha Drew, a senior Early Childhood Special Education major, said, “This free passport may help me get the international experience I need before joining the Peace Corps.”

Chris Powell, a senior Anthropology and International Relations major, said, “I love working abroad and without my passport, I wouldn’t be able to do that. Before I was traveling on a military ID, but this passport will allow me to pursue my passions in India.”

Nichole Whilson, a student in the Master’s program for Library and Information Science, said, “This passport means so much to me as an older student because a lot of these experiences and opportunities are typically reserved for younger students.”

Thank you to CIEE for bringing this opportunity to Towson students! We hope that this was a step in the right direction towards fulfilling our Generation Study Abroad pledge of increasing students studying abroad by 40% by the year 2020.

As a general overview, Generation Study Abroad is an initiative from the Institute of International Education (IIE) to increase the number of American students who study abroad and to ensure that our graduates are prepared and ready to contribute to the global workforce. The initiative looks to increase the diversity of students who study abroad, remove barriers to participation and ensure quality experiences for all of those involved. We picked out the three most important reasons Generation Study Abroad should be on your radar. We also surveyed our staff to get their opinion on the Generation Study Abroad initiative.

Without further ado, here are the 3 reasons you should become familiar with Generation Study Abroad…

1. Generation Study Abroad’s Goal is Pretty Impressive

Generation Study Abroad aims to double the number of American students studying abroad by the end of the decade (2020). That means they need YOU in order to reach this goal, so if you needed a sign that you should study abroad: this is it!

2. Less than 10% of U.S. Students Study Abroad

International experience has increasingly become one of the most important components of a 21st century education. Studying abroad specifically is one of the best ways college students can acquire international experience necessary to succeed in today’s global market. By increasing the number of students entering the workforce with international experience, we are effectively making the market, as a whole, more diverse and culturally competent.

3. Towson University has Committed to this Initiative

Towson University and Towson Abroad have joined some 450 other partners from across the country and have committed to increasing the number of Towson students who study abroad by 40% by 2020. The reason this matters is because we can’t do it without you – our students, faculty, staff, and the whole Towson community.

“We wholeheartedly support this initiative because we believe it will help to create a generation of young people who will leave Towson ready to make a positive difference in the world.”

– Dr. Timothy Chandler, TU President

“What does the Generation Study Abroad initiative mean to you?/Why is it needed?”

Looks to extend international experience to under-represented students

TOWSON, Md. —Towson University joins the Institute of International Education (IIE)’s Generation Study Abroad initiative to increase the diversity and number of American students who study abroad. The initiative looks to increase the diversity of students who study abroad, remove barriers to participation and ensure quality experiences. Towson University has committed to increase the number of its students who study abroad by 40 percent by the end of the decade.

Towson University joins more than 240 higher education institutions throughout the nation participating in Generation Study Abroad.

“Towson University is pleased to be part of this Generation Study Abroad initiative and excited about the opportunities it will create for our students,” said Towson University Acting President Dr. Timothy Chandler. “Increasing the numbers of Towson students who will study abroad by 40 percent over the next six years is an ambitious goal, and it will serve as an important component of the university’s overall plan to expand our international and global initiatives. We wholeheartedly support this initiative because we believe it will help to create a generation of young people who will leave Towson ready to make a positive difference in the world.”

The Towson Study Abroad Office has identified several pathways to achieve its goal of increasing participation in its program, including the following:

Curriculum integration. In addition to working with departments across campus to identify courses suitable for different areas of study, Towson seeks to develop a Global Perspectives certificate program; create a semester-long preparatory course on global citizenship; and continue collaborations with faculty and advisors to educate the campus community about study abroad.

Funding and scholarship. One of the top concerns of Towson students is funding and financial aid to support experiences abroad. In addition to other internationally focused projects, Towson aims to raise funds to support a new ‘Generation Study Abroad’ scholarship for underrepresented, incoming first-year students. The scholarship could be applied to an approved study abroad experience at any time during a student’s undergraduate career.

Access and diversification. Towson is eager to diversify its offerings overseas as well as the experiences of its graduates. These efforts involve increasing outreach to students who are underrepresented in study abroad (low-income students, first generation students, minorities, athletes) and evaluating the type of experiences offered (internships, research opportunities) as well as the locations.

“Through this initiative we can ensure that we can increase the diversity of under-represented students participating in the study abroad programs by offering the diverse selection of traditional and non-traditional sites, scholarship opportunities, study, research and internship abroad and short and long term international learning experience,” said Saleha Suleman, assistant vice president of international initiatives. Suleman joined Towson in July and is charged with carrying out the university’s commitment to international education.

According to the Open Doors Report on International and Educational Exchange released by IIE last November, 295,000 students studied abroad in 2011/12 in credit-bearing and non-credit programs. Generation Study Abroad aims to grow participation in study abroad so that the annual total reported will reach 600,000 by the end of the decade.